11/05/24
November 10, 2015
Colts Out of Luck as QB Suffers Lacerated Kidney: During Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck suffered a lacerated kidney and partial abdominal muscle tear, injuries that won't require surgery but will keep him out as many as six weeks. USA Today scribe Lindsay H. Jones blames Colts GM Ryan Grigson for Luck taking a beating this season behind a poor offensive line. "Long-term, Grigson can't keep living this dangerously with his quarterback," Jones fulminates.
You just know that Luck looks longingly to the east down I-74 toward Cincinnati, ruefully gazing at the offensive line, running backs, and receivers surrounding Andy Dalton Then he coughs up a little bit of blood, lies back in his bed and presses the morphine button with the goal of dreaming happy dreams that don't involve 300 lb men running after him unmolested.
posted by tahoemoj at 07:20 PM on November 10, 2015
It takes a special breed of lineman to give Luck the protection he needs. His dropbacks are extra dynamic in terms of speed and distance. He retreats way back and then comes forward a couple of yards or so before letting the ball go. Which is one reason his runs get decent positive yardage - he's already in forward motion when he decides to pull the ball down and run with it.
He needs a pocket with long sides - almost parabolic rather than semicircular - and athletic linemen who can create that shape and hold it. Setting up that type of pass protection requires well coached technique as well as ample endurance over four quarters if Luck manages to keep the offense on the field and sustain long drives.
Thank goodness they've got Gore providing a respectable run game so the OL can fire off the ball and hit people once in a while.
posted by beaverboard at 08:03 AM on November 11, 2015
The Colts are going to destroy Andrew Luck who is potentially one of the best QBs in the league if he had some decent protection from their offensive line.